The role of social networks in buying decisions

I was a little disappointed when I read about Gartner’s report on the impact of social networking on consumer buying decisions. I had hoped for an incredible insight into consumer behaviour that would revolutionise e-commerce as we know it, but it did little more than confirm what Gladwell had already observed in The Tipping Point.

All this anecdotal talk of Connectors, Mavens and Salesmen is deeply enthralling and makes for good conversation at the dinner table, but how do you put it into practice? How do you apply it to real-world marketing strategies in a way that generates palpable results? The answer to a question like this is never easy, but with a little research, and a gut full of tenacity, it certainly isn’t impossible.

So you’re launching a new product, website or service and you’re confident that it’s completely unique in either offering or quality. Now you want to tell the World about it. But more than that, you want the World to believe in your hype, and to pay good money to embrace your amazing creation. You know that Social marketing holds the key; if you could only find the lock.

The concept is deceptively simple.

Gladwell described three personality types that were central to all of the social phenomena he studied: Connectors, Salesmen and Mavens. I’m not going to bore you with too much detail here — I’d recommend you read the book for a full understanding — but they can be broadly defined as:

Connectors

Extremely well connected and habitually social individuals who maintain many loose and informal relationships across numerous networks. If you want to get a message out to as wide an audience as possible, this person is your first port of call.

Salesmen

Charismatic, persuasive characters who will champion and evangelise an idea if they believe in it strongly enough. Though not always commercially minded, these people have a natural ability to propagate curiosity and enthusiasm in the ideas they embrace.

Mavens

Knowledgable, rational beings whose approval will carry a great deal of weight with even the most sceptical among us. Mavens are trusted voices and expert authorities in their field, who provide reassurance in their advice through diligence and reason.

So how does this apply to Social Marketing?

There is a common misconception that Social marketing is about getting your message out to as wide an audience as possible. But it’s not just about volume.

Reaching a huge audience is a good thing; The laws of probability dictate that the further your message spreads, the more chance you’ll have that someone will hear it and respond. But the odds may be stacked against you, depending on what it is you’re selling. You need quality as well as quantity.

We are complex creatures, fraught with conflict between our instinctive emotional side and our sense of logic and reason. Take me, for example: I am utterly seduced by the iPhone, and would buy another one tomorrow if it weren’t for the voice of reason in my head assuring me that in 12 months time it will be little more than a novelty doorstop. Every time we make a decision, this crisis between heart and mind dictates how we behave; Our gut tells us what we want, and our brain tries to talk us out of it.

If you take this theory and apply it to Gladwell’s archetypes, you can see where Salesmen and Mavens come into the decision making process, enriching the sheer volume created by the Connectors. Salesmen whip up excitement and buzz around your offering, attracting valuable attention and winning over the more instinctive members of your audience, whilst Mavens reassure the sceptics that it isn’t just a flash in the pan. The further reassurance that crowd mentality brings — if everyone else thinks it’s great, then it must be — just fuels this process, and so the Tipping Point beckons.

So where can one find these Connectors, Salesmen and Mavens?

There is no definitive answer to this question; it depends on who your audience are, who they know, and in whom they trust. But they can’t be too difficult to find, as long as you know the real-world traits that transform them from faceless archetype to a person you can recognise.

Look first at your local business network, and you’ll find Connectors. They are habitual socialites, with a Facebook friend-count that makes you look like a Billy-no-mates. They know everybody, and everybody knows them. They attend every networking event and awards dinner, so you shouldn’t need to look hard. They are often found in regional development hubs, where their social omnipresence is of greatest value in connecting likeminded individuals.

Next, seek out the thought-leaders in your local network, and you’ll find the Salesmen. They’re full of ideas, intensely energetic and they love to talk. When they’re not speaking publicly about their ideas and opinions, they’re listening to others, waiting for that spark of inspiration. They recognise ingenuity when they see it, and will embrace and evangelise it if you manage to convince them.

Finally, seek out the technical experts who can verify your wild claims, and provide solid, reliable accreditation. The Mavens of your network will be fanatical teachers, whether they know it or not. They are trusted voices, with an authority that will put your audience at ease.

Take a consumer sport like Tennis, for example. The groups you might target for Social marketing (online or off) might be:

• Connectors: Fund-raisers and Event Organisers
• Salesmen: Professional Tennis Players (idols)
• Mavens: Coaches and Officials

Of course, identifying these individuals is challenging enough, but motivating them to perpetuate your message across time and space is another kettle of fish. That, I can’t help you with.

But if you can’t convince a charismatic, level-headed socialite to talk about your idea, how on Earth will you ever convince someone to buy it?